To put the final bow on our 100 Day Adventure, we thought it’d be fun to reflect on our trip “favorites.” Destination It’s probably not surprising that our favorite destination on this trip was safari-related, as that was the part of the trip we were most excited for. This particular destination featured a day of both morning and sunset safaris, interrupted only by some time at our remote tented camp inside a national park.
We spent 95 days traveling around the world and returned with one single souvenir—a wooden carving depicting the “Big Five,” acquired along the beach in Malawi, Africa.
We’re not big souvenir people, usually opting for a single fridge magnet for each “big” trip (a tradition we only occasionally remember to participate in). And since we were carting this stuff—quite literally around the damn world—we knew that collecting souvenirs was out of the question.
And besides, we would be traveling through a number of countries, each of which might prohibit importing a piece of wood like this (a not uncommon issue when crossing borders). But because our African experience was so memorable, we decided to give it a go anyway, accepting the possible fate. Luckily, it wasn’t a problem. Had we not been so rushed to return home early, we probably would have snagged another souvenir in Australia. But alas, we returned with just the one. -S
It was right back into the fire as soon as we returned to the US, so wrapping up the trip posts has taken a back seat. Sorry! Well, here are a few final posts from our last several days exploring the country. -S 🇦🇺 Wilson’s Promontory National Park Along the way Grampians National Park A wall in Melbourne the night before our return journey
One of the highlights of our time on Raymond Island in Australia was enjoying an enchida browsing around for a late lunch (enchidas and platypuses are the only living mammals that lay eggs). We must have spent 30 minutes just watching this guy waddle around and sniff around in the dirt. -S 🇦🇺 Here’s a short clip:
Kampsite Kangaroo 🇦🇺
Dusk in Australia
It’s been a bit since we posted the first part of our drive on the Great Ocean Road, but here’s the second half—the portion that includes the famed Twelve Apostles and other sea stacks. While we enjoyed the stops we made along this stretch—though unfortunately, some of the spots we were most excited about were closed—it was also quite crowded. Very, very crowded. We also found it funny that there were lots of “Australia drives on the left side of the road” signs as reminders for all the tourists.
We rented a Euro Mini campervan from Apollo, picking up in Sydney and dropping off in Melbourne. We wanted something small and generally parkable, but also fully self-contained, a requirement to boondock in Australia. Overall, the vehicle worked fine for us. After two months of hot weather, we loved having the AC at night. Because it only works when on shore power, we sought out powered sites for all but one night of the trip.
Welp, due to “recent events,” we had to abruptly and prematurely end our trip, and frantically race ourselves back to the US.
The sun has set on our adventure, but we’ll get caught up with more photos and posts this week.
It’s our last night in the campervan, and it sorta feels like the last night of the trip, too. But we still have two nights in Melbourne, followed by a full week in French Polynesia. We spent an hour or two sitting outside, gazing up at the incredible starscape late last night in Grampians National Park, talking a bit about the trip so far. One of the questions we asked each other was, at this late stage of our epic trip, how much longer could we go in the campervan?
Although we are currently sitting on the beach waiting for the Australian Blue Penguins to come ashore, I found this guy hiding under the boardwalk! -J 🇦🇺
Because it wouldn’t be a Scott roadtrip without a stop at some sort of roadside oddity or “World’s Largest” thing… -S 🇦🇺
Given our experience roadtripping around Australia, I can only assume that the word “kangaroo” is an ancient aboriginal term for roadkill. -S 🇦🇺
How do you deal with a sinkhole (or two) in the middle of your town? Well, you make them into garden parks! -S 🇦🇺
We started our first of two days driving the scenic Great Ocean Road, often regarded as one of the world’s best coastal highways, and one of the most remarkable war memorials, too. A largely community-driven project, it served numerous purposes: a memorial to the fallen (Australia experienced the highest casualty rate of any nation in the Great War), an employment project for returning soldiers who needed work, and a way to connect isolated coastal communities and opening up the coast for tourism and development.
The branches/needles on this tree appear to grow….upward?! -J 🇦🇺
Australia’s Parliament House is located in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. The unique building, opened in 1988, has two large curved walls, separating the building into four quadrants with grass covering parts of the roof. Interestingly, instead of towering above the ground like most capital buildings, this one seems to emerge from the ground…its intended design. -J 🇦🇺
Love this sundial mural in the tiny town of Foster -S 🇦🇺
We had an excellent afternoon of wildlife viewing along the Koala Trail yesterday. More photos and video to come! -S 🇦🇺
Street art in Canberra -S 🇦🇺
